Prague, Czech Republic
December 10, 2007
USDA/FAS GAIN Report Number:
EZ7008
Original report:
http://www.fas.usda.gov/gainfiles/200711/146292942.pdf
Prague was the site for several
biotechnology events over the past two months:
- A biotech conference
organized by FAS/Vienna/Prague and the State Department;
- a United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO)
GMO workshop for Eastern Europe;
- a United Nations Environment (UNEP)/Global Environmental
Fund (GEF) biotech seminar; and
- a meeting of Czech NGOs with biotech regulators.
This report provides an overview
of those events.
U.S. Embassy Conference:
Biotechnology in Modern Agriculture, Food, and Industry
On September 12, 2007, the FAS
Offices in Vienna and Prague and the State Department at U.S.
Embassy/Prague organized a conference entitled “Biotechnology in
Modern Agriculture, Food, and Industry”, which was followed by a
dinner for policy-makers hosted by Ambassador Richard Graber.
The purpose of the conference was to provide science-based
information to policy makers, farmers, food processors and
consumer advocates and to highlight the recent WTO ruling on
biotechnology. By organizing a conference on the positive Czech
biotech experience, FAS and State attempted to strengthen the
Czech position in the EU and to encourage sciencebased
biotechnology policies in the region.
The conference, locally co-sponsored by the Czech Ministry of
Agriculture, drew over 70 participants from five countries,
including representatives from government, retail and food
industry, academia, as well as the local English and Czech
press.
Ambassador Graber gave opening remarks at the conference,
explaining the importance of biotechnology in the United States
and the opportunities biotechnology provides to address poverty
and food security issues on a global scale. Among the keynote
speakers were Mr. Fred Yoder, a farmer from the United States
(Ohio), and Professor Mr. Yoder Richard Phipps from the
University of Reading in the United Kingdom.
Mr. Yoder talked from the farmer’s perspective about his
experience with growing GM crops in the US, new GM varieties
grown in the US, and their co-existence with organic production.
He also touched on labeling requirements and pointed out that
organic products may not be labeled as “GMO free” as is often
the case in Europe. Mr.Yoder also appeared on the popular
morning talk show "Dobre Rano" with Czech Ministry of
Agriculture representative Marie Cerovska to talk about the
benefits of biotechnology.
Dr. Phipps talked about the use of biotechnology in food
production, global trends in the world including climate change
and the need for new technologies. He stressed the safety of
biotechnology and pointed out conclusions from regulatory
authorities in the UK that there is no scientific evidence
indicating that milk, meat and eggs produced by animals fed
biotech crops would be any different than products derived from
conventional agriculture. He talked about global GM crop areas
and the benefits of biotechnology in the world.
Attendees at the dinner included Czech Minister of Agriculture
Petr Gandalovic, Deputy Minister of Environment Dr. Karel Blaha
and Deputy Chairman of the Czech Parliament Agriculture
Committee Ladislav Skopal, along with representatives from
leading agricultural organizations. Ambassador Graber
congratulated the Czech Republic on its leadership role in
agricultural biotechnology in Europe and led a discussion on
current challenges and the future of biotechnology in Europe.
Minister Gandalovic was forthright in discussing the
difficulties EU membership presents with regard to biotechnology
but noted the Czech government and parliament will continue to
support a science-based approach to biotechnology.
FAO Workshop: “Risk Assessment and Management of GM Crops”
On October 13-27, 2007, the United Nations Food and Agricultural
Organization (FAO) hosted a seminar entitled “Risk Assessment
and Management of GM Crops”. The target audience was the
following Eastern European countries: Bulgaria, Romania,
Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia,
Serbia, Belarus, Kosovo, Moldava, Kazachstan, Turkey, Ukraine,
and Russia. The workshop’s goal was to provide balanced
information about various countries’ experiences with biotech
crops, risk analysis and assessment as well as to share the
experiences of the workshop participants’ countries in issues
and differences in risk assessment among the countries.
The Czech Republic, as the host country, provided several
experts to speak about risk analysis and risk assessment and
regulations in the European Union. A representative of the
European Food Safety Agency (EFSA) gave an overview of EFSA’s
strategy and role in relation to assessment of GMOs. Among the
key topics of the workshop were risk assessment and management
of insect-resistant GM crops, virus-resistant GM crops,
herbicide-resistant GM crops; food safety assessment and Codex
Alimentarius guidelines.
There was a general discussion on common issues and differences
in risk assessment among the countries and several plenary
sessions for smaller group discussions. Participants also
visited a laboratory at the State Agricultural and Food
Inspection in Brno, which is the monitoring and enforcement
authority for GMO and genetic products in the Czech Republic.
The group also visited Johann Gregor Mendel, founder of the
genetics museum in Brno.
United Nations Environment
(UNEP)/Global Environmental Fund (GEF) seminar entitled “Genetic
Modifications and Measures for Biological Safety”
On October 8, 2007, the Ministry of Environment hosted a seminar
“Genetic Modifications and Measures for Biological Safety.”
The seminar was organized for the public. The main topics
included: Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety – an overview of the
UNEP/GEF project, inspection controls done by the Czech
Inspection of Environment, trans-boundary movement of GMOs,
overview of GM crops in the world and their safety, GMO
legislation valid in the Czech Republic, control of GMO handling
in the Czech Republic, GM food and feed, and rules of
coexistence in biotechnology.
Biotechnology and Sustainable
Development Viewed by Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs)
On October 9, 2007, Society for Sustainable Life, a Czech NGO,
hosted a public meeting with biotech regulators from the
Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Agriculture. The
seminar was attended by 40 people, including the Minister of
Environment Bursik’s “green advisor”.
The main topics included: experiences of NGOs with
biotechnologies in the world, GMO risk assessment, its impact on
health and environment, conflicting interests of organic and
biotech farmers, rules of coexistence etc. A representative of
the Ministry of Agriculture reported on new EU regulation
834/2007 on organic agriculture, which will come into force on
January 1, 2009. The new rule of this regulation is that organic
producers will not be
fined if their products contain less than 0.9% of GMO. This
information upset the organic farmers and representatives of the
Society for Sustainable Life and resulted in a very emotional
debate among organic farmers and representatives of the Ministry
of Agriculture.
NGOs repeatedly said that they agree with different types of
agriculture (organic, conventional, and biotech) as long as one
group of famers (biotech) does not cause harm to another group
(organic), which apparently does if organic products may contain
up to 0.9% of GMO. The Ministry of Agriculture representative
pointed out that GM crops have been approved in the EU and that
they have to provide conditions for both parts. The two sides
reached no agreement.
Original report:
http://www.fas.usda.gov/gainfiles/200711/146292942.pdf
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